Wire fence.



No. sa7,|42. Patented. Nov. l9, I901.

- E. L. EWBANK.

WIRE FENCE (Application filed June 10, 1901.

2 s hlf sheef 1.

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES A 770/?NE rs No. 687,142. Patented Nov. |9',.|9o|.

E. L. EWBANK.

WIRE FENCE.

lication filed June 10,

(No Mode //v VENTOR W/TNESSES.

6W I BY 77% V I7 ATTORNEYS NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. V

ERNEST L. EVVBANK, OFLHENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO HILARY B. BRUNOT, OF HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

WIRE FENCE.

srnorrrcarron forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,142, datedNovember19, 1901.

7 Application filed June 10, 1901- To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that LERNEST LUCAS EWBANK, of Henderson ville, in the countyof Henderson and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Wire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, practical, and cheapwire fence which may be expeditiously put up or taken down withoutspecial tools and by unskilled workmen and which shall also be strongand durable and adapted to be constructed either of plain or barbed wireor twisted cable.

It consists in the special construction of the iron posts, incombination with the wires and fastening wedges, together with suitablebraces for the corners, as I will now proceed to describewith referenceto the drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side view of a corner-sectionof my fence. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through a part ofthe post and retainingwedge, showing the wire locked in place thereby.Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the same parts. Figs. 4, 5, and 6are enlarged details of the wedge. Fig. 7 is a modification of the postused for gradual curves. Fig. 8 shows in section on line 8 801: Fig. 7the position that the prongs of the post occupy to the curved line offence. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the fence-post and gate-hanger wedges.

Fig. 10 is'a detail of a modified form of post. In the drawings, A andA. are the fenceposts, of which A is a corner-post and A an intermediatepost. These posts are made of cast-iron, wrought-iron, or steel and areto be either solid or hollow with large fluke-shaped bases G, which areto be firmly anchored in the ground. The posts may be round, square,triangular, or any other desired shape in cross-section and have alongone side, at the intervals the wires are to be apart, dovetail orundercut notches E, having a small out let or opening and Wideningtherefrom inwardly on both sides of the outlet, so as to formsymmetrical overhanging edges.

W represents the wires, which may be either plain, barbed, or cabletwisted or woven wire. These wires are inserted in the notches in theposts and are there retained by iron or steel wire, thus allowing thesame wedge to be ap Serial No. 63 ,874. (N0 model.)

wedges H. These wedges have their outer faces a smaller than their innerfaces 0 and have inclined sides, which in cross-section correspond toand fitunderthe overhang of the notches. The Wedges are also taperedalong their sides, so that when the small end is inserted into thenotches E and the wedge is driven in it will tighten in its seat. On theunder and broader side of the wedge there is formed acorrugated grooveb,extending along the middle line of said side. The wedge is alsothicker at its wide end, and the-groove b at the wide end may besomewhat larger than it is at the narrow end, so as to fit larger size 5plied to different sizes of wire. When the wire is laid in a notch E,the wedge H is applied to the same,"with the groove 12 fitting againstthe wire. Then when the wedge is driven in' it passes under theoverhanging symmetrical edges of the notch and jams the wire against thepost by reason of the taper until the wire and wedge are tightly held tothe post. This forms a very secure and simple joint or connection andone that may be easily and quickly loosened, to take down the fence orrepair the strands by simply tapping with a hammer on the small end ofthe wedge.

To brace the corner-post, it is formed near the top on two sides withsockets D to receive the ends of the inclined braces B, the lower endsof which are received into corresponding sockets D in a short brace-postO. This brace-post is formed with an undercut notch E to receive a wedgeH, by which it is socured to the lower fence-wire and by which it isfirmly held against the thrust strain of the brace B.

For intermediate posts I use the form shown at A except when describinga curve, and 90 in such case I use a post of the kind shown at A Fig-7,which has near its top a notch D to receive a brace and at its bottom isforked at G, the forks of which are made to straddle the curve line ofthe fence f, Fig. 8, 5 so that the pull on the radial line of the curve,due to the tension of the wires, will be resisted by the doubleanchorage in the ground of the two prongs G G. -If the curve is not ofvery small radius, the double base I00 only may be suflicient; but whenthe strain is increased by a sharp curve both the double base G G andthe brace B may be used.

When there is an opening through the fence for a gate, the fence-post ismade as at A in Fig. 9, in which an undercut slot of large size is madenear the top and bottom of the post, and the wedge is formed, as shownat H, with pintle arms h, the upper one of which is turned down and thelower one up to prevent the gate from being lifted off the hinges. A pink through a hole in the small end of the wedge keeps it fromaccidentally coming out. The wedge-plate forming the base of the hingeis also adapted to perform the function of a wire-fastener, as will bereadily understood.

In defining my invention with greater clearness I would state that I amaware that fencewires have been retained in seats in the posts by wedgesand I do not claim this broadly.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the undercut notches of.

the posts are shown in the corners; but I-would have it understood thatI do not limit myselfi to this arrangement, but may place them in theflat side of the post, and for corner-posts there may be two sets ofslots or notches in said flat sides, as seen at A in Fig. 10. The wedgesmay also be made of a definite size to suit the wire used and benumbered accordingly.

In constructing a fence according to my invention the wedges are drivenin from the advance side, so that the tension of the Wires will have atendency to draw them in instead of loosening them. Thus in Fig. 1 thefence is to be constructed from the left-hand side of the figure towardthe right and the wedges are driven in from right to left.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- l. A wire fence comprising a metal posthaving dovetail notches along its edges with broad vertical bases andequally inclined sides, horizontal wires located in said notches,

and flat wedges each having inclined edges corresponding to those of thenotches, said wedge being made tapering from a wide end to a narrow endwith a double convergence, that is .a convergence of its two flat sides,and a convergence of its two edges, and said wedge being also made ofgreater vertical width in transverse direction than it is in thicknesssubstantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A wire fence comprising a metel post having dovetail notches alongits edges with broad vertical bases and equally-inclined sides,horizontal wires located in said notches, and flat wedges each havinginclined edges corresponding to those of the notches, said Wedge beingmade tapering from a wide end to a narrow end with a double convergence,that is a convergence of its two fiat sides, and a convergence of itstwo edges, and said wedge being also made of greater vertical width intransverse direction than it is in thickness and having on its innerbroad face a longitudinal groove to form a wire-seat substantially asdescribed.

3. A wire fence comprising a metal post angular in cross-section andprovided with dovetail notches formed transversely across its cornersand intersecting the two adjacent side planes of the post, said notcheshaving broad bases and equally-inclined sides, horizontal wires locatedin said notches, and flat wedges each having inclined edgescorresponding to those of the notches, and said wedge being madetapering from a wide end to a narrow end with a double convergence, thatis a convergence of the two flat sides, and a convergence of the twoedges, said Wedge being made of greater vertical width in transversedirection than it is in thickness and having on its inner broad facealongitudinal groove to form a wire-seat substantially as described.

4. An iron fence-post for wire fences having a slot with overhangingedges combined with a tapered wedge formed with a pintlepin for thegate-hinge substantially as described.

5. A locking-Wedge for the wire of a wire fence made in cross-sectionwider on one side with an equal taper of each edge to the narrow sideand having two flat sides converging in their planes and two inclinededges also converging toward the same end of the wedge and having alsoon the broad flat side a middle longitudinal groove substantially as andfor the purpose described.

ERNEST L. EWBANK.

Witnesses:

T. F. ORR, Gno. I'I. VALENTINE.

